Page 70 of Stuck with my Mountain Daddies

It was plain. No frills. But the cocoa? Rich. Decadent rich. Dark, with a hint of hazelnut, barely sweet, and somehow, infuriatingly, perfect.

The lid was off already, and a tiny piece of peanut butter chocolate rested against the rim.

Taped to the cup was a single line, scribbled in quick, messy writing:

Still your favorite?

I stared at it. Then I stared across the square.

Because I knew this one, too.

Garrett.

Before I could say a word, a familiar voice piped up right behind me.

“Wait. Are all of those foryou?”

Lucy. Of course.

I turned to see her staring at the lineup like I’d just pulled off a sleight-of-hand magic trick.

“They’re hot chocolates,” I said weakly.

She grinned. “I can see that. Matchmaker hot chocolates. Riley, you have been making asplash!How have you managed that? We’ve spent most of our time in my suite at the inn.”

“I don’t know,” I lied, because I was a coward and definitely not ready to explain how every single one of them made my stomach flip for entirely different, emotionally compromising reasons.

Lucy leaned closer, inspecting each cup, hunting for clues. “This one has glitter. This one smells like it could melt steel. And this one has a garnish. Riley, what is happening? Are you in some kind of cocoa-based love square?”

“Absolutely not,” I said, way too fast.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Is this some kind of weird town game? Are you supposed to guess who sent what? Is it a competition?”

I gave her my best please-drop-this look.

She ignored it completely. “I want three cocoas from mystery men. How do I make that happen?”

All of a sudden, Sadie dropped a marshmallow tong and gasped dramatically. “Oh no.”

We both turned.

“Lucy, look at my dress. It’s a mess.” Sadie’s wide eyes stared desperately. “Will you help me?”

“But what about the stand?”

Sadie smiled and winked at me, making me wonder if she was causing a distraction on purpose. If so,thank goodness.

“Riley has it.”

I nodded as Sadie looped her arm through Lucy’s and led her away.

Then I looked down.

Three cups. Still there. Still waiting. Stillthem.

And all I could think was…

This isn’t subtle. This isn’t staying hidden.

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